Environment

In March, Montezuma County commissioners donated $1000 of taxpayer dollars to the American Lands Council, a group that advocates and lobbies for the transfer of federal lands to states. KSJD's Tom Yoder talks with Michal Rosenoer, Southwest Field Organizer for Conservation Colorado, about the American Lands Council, who is behind their efforts, and why conservation groups, sportsmen, and veterans oppose their actions.

In this episode of the River Trip, host Sam Carter talks with Bill Dvorak of Dvorak Rafting, Kayaking, and Fishing Expeditions, about the recent designation of the Browns Canyon National Monument along the Arkansas River in central Colorado, and Amber Clark, Chair of the Legislative Subcommittee for the Lower Dolores Plan Working Group, about a proposed National Conservation Area for the Dolores River Canyon.

The unusually wet spring has made some mushroom foragers very happy. As part of the crowd-sourced journalism project iSeeChange, a listener in Paonia, Colorado posted pictures of her harvest of morels and she wondered if this bumper crop is something we’ll see more and more. KVNF's Jake Ryan found out.

To get involved with the iSeeChange project and post your own climate observations, go to iSeeChange.org.

Weather and climate are many times used interchangeably, but are really terms used to explain different phenomena. KSJD's Tom Yoder talks with Rebecca Samulski, Montezuma Chapter Coordinator for Firewise of Southwest Colorado about the important differences in weather and climate, how they are considered in wildfire forecasts, and the potential for wildfire in the Four Corners area as temperatures begin to soar.

In this episode of the River Trip, host Sam Carter talks with Josh Munson and Jessica Mulvihill-Kuntz, boaters who were involved in a boating accident on June 2nd caused by a cable that was strung across the Dolores River. They describe what happened when the cable forced them off of their raft, resulting in serious injuries to two of their fellow boaters.

The spring rains have been a welcome change, but how does increased moisture here in the Four Corners area relate to bigger weather patterns like El Niño? KSJD's Jeff Pope asked a question on the iSeeChange Almanac about our spring weather, and Dr. Paul Roundy, Associate Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Albany in New York, provided an answer.

Hiking trails are a resource that many of us use to explore our public lands. KSJD's Tom Yoder talks with Gabi Morey, Director of Education and Outreach, and Kathe Hayes, Volunteer Program Director from the San Juan Mountains Association, about the value of trails for recreation, programs they offer to get kids and families into the outdoors, and what is coming up for National Trails Day on June 6th.

Open space is a vital aspect of community planning, and key to the quality of life for residents. KSJD's Tom Yoder talks with Cortez City Manager Shane Hale, and Tim Cline, Chairman of the Cortez Planning Commision, about a new parcel of open space that the City of Cortez will be dedicating on Memorial Day in honor of a local veteran who was killed in action during the Iraq war.

In this episode of the River Trip, host Sam Carter talks with Lars Haarr, who was recently named Outside magazine's 2015 River Guide of the Year. Lars talks about his role guiding clients down the rivers of the Southwest, shares his thoughts on his favorite places and the future of water, and his famous "Stars With Lars" river trips.

With continuing drought across the Four Corners area, it is critical that we work to protect our homes, neighborhoods, and communities from the devastation of wildfire. KSJD's Tom Yoder talks with Rebecca Samulski, Montezuma Chapter Coordinator for FireWise of Southwest Colorado, about how you can be better prepared for wildfire, and join in events happening on National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on May 2nd.